The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-11-12
GIVES UP ITS DEAD.
Bodies from the Sunken Vernon Re
covered.

Bodies from the Sunken Vernon Re-
covered.
Lake Michigan has given up twenty
two OF the bodles oftie victims of the
Vernon and they are now laid out in
the engine house at Two Rivers, where
the following have been identified;
George Thorpe, captain; John Sullivan,
first mate; Larry Higgins, second mate;
+. W. Burk, clerk; Martin lie Beau,
steward; Henry lie Beau, porter; Roy
HaZelton, cabin boy; +. b. Borland,
passenger, Milwaukee. Nine bodies
have been picked up and taken
TO Two Rivers. Nineteen have been re-
covered, ten more having been picked
up in the meantime. OF these the tug
Albatross brought in nine, the Commo-
dore Mutt five and the Edict five. There
are five fishing tugs running out from
Two Rivers and all these are constantly
on the lookout for bodies from the i'll
tated steamer and any wreckage which
may be floating about. The bodies were
all found about twelve miles northeast
of Two Rivers. Five of them were to-
gether and the others were picked up
within a short distance from each other.
Axel Stone, the sole survivor of the
wreck, passed through Milwaukee on
hls way to Chicago on the 2d. He APP
peared quite comfortable, but it Will be
some time before he fully RECEIVERS from
the terrible exposure, and viii be sent
TO the marine hospital in Chicago to re-
cuperate. Stone reiterated in every
detail the interview with him in Green
Bay. Marine men who read his story
doubted very much some of his state
ments, as for instance the assertion that
the gargways We're left open and that
the propeller was as deeply loaded as
gla N
these points, Stone said:
Yes, it is true that both her forward
gang-ways were left open-that is the
upper half of them which swing upon
hinges. The lower parts were in place,
but the upper parts of the two forward
gang-ways had been left tied up, and
the freight piled clear up to the hurri-
cane deck, beside the open gang-ways."
"How was it that the gang-ways were
left opeD?" asked the reporter.
81 don't know, except that the wealth
er was pleasant when she was loading,
Friday, there being no sea whatever on
the east shore, and the officers probably
thought they were going to have pleas
ant run across the lake that night, and
so neglected to close them.
"When she encountered the heavy
sea the waves commenced to break
through the open gang-ways. Alter the
boat had three feet of water in her hold,
| went to Capt. Thorpe on deck and
suggested that some of the deck load be
iettisoned, so that the gang-ways could
be closed down, and he told me to go
| to he'll that he was running the boat"
"Was the boat as deeply laden as you
are reported to have said?'
"Well, she had an inch and half of
freeboard on one side and six inches on
the other. 1t was the biggest load l had
ever seen on her"
"Are you certain that there were twen
y passengers aboard ?'
"Well, | am positive that sixteen got
| on at st. Ignace, thirteen.of them deck
passengers, or laboring men, none of
whom probably belonged there and
their identity may never be estab-
| lished."
Stone says that it was about o'clock
in the morning when he was awakened
| and that when he jumped out of his
berth the water was rushing into his
room. He grabbed life preserver, put
it about him and jumped through the
| window, swimming to the rIft on which
| he flOated fittV lOurS